Vegetarian thali costlier in last one year, non-veg thali cheaper: CRISIL

The rise in the cost of a veg thali signals that the food inflation inched up in January as compared to January 2023

The cost of a vegetarian thali has gone up by 5 per cent in the last one year, while for a non-vegetarian thali it has decreased by 13 per cent, a report released by CRISIL on Wednesday showed.

According to the Roti Rice Rate (RRR) report, a veg thali comprises roti, onion, tomato and potato, rice, dal, curd and salad. On the other hand, a non-veg thali has the same elements as the veg thali, except for dal, which is replaced by chicken (broiler).

In January this year, the cost of a veg thali was Rs 28. In January last year, it was Rs 26.6. For non-veg thali, the cost went down to Rs 52 from Rs 59.9 during the same period.

 

The report said that the main reason for the rise in the cost of a veg thali is the increase in prices of tomato and onion, which grew costlier by 20 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, in the last year. Moreover, the prices of rice and pulses also rose 14 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively. 

Notably, the rise in the cost of a veg thali signals that food inflation continued to be high in January as compared to January 2023. In January 2023, retail inflation was reported at 6.52 per cent, with food inflation at 5.94 per cent. The latest data is scheduled to be released next week.

In December, the retail inflation was 5.69 per cent with food inflation at 9.53 per cent.

For the non-veg thali, the cost went down as the broiler's price declined by 26 per cent on the back of higher production. Broiler accounts for 50 per cent of the total cost of a non-veg thali.

As compared to December 2023, the cost of both thalis has gone down. The report said, "On-month, the cost of the veg and non-veg thalis fell 6 per cent and 8 per cent respectively."

The easing was due to a fall in onion and tomato prices by 26 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, as compared to December 2023. This was due to an increased supply amid export curbs and fresh tomato arrivals from northern and eastern states.

"The cost of the non-veg thali declined faster due to a decline of 8-10 per cent on-month in prices of broilers," the report added.